An increasing information traffic load flows on today's information superhighways. This has made fiber optic communication systems increasingly important for local and long distance video, voice, and data transmission of information. Information in optical cables is carried within a broad bandwidth spectrum of frequencies. As more information is carried on coaxial or optical cables, signal capacity throughout the broad bandwidth spectrum has become increasingly crowded and subject to congestion.
Typical fiber optical communication systems include a transmitter, a receiver, and a fiber optic cable line between the receiver and the transmitter. The transmitter of the optical communication system converts received RF signals into corresponding modulated light signals which carry information to its intended receiver through the fiber optic cable line. The receiver converts the light signals back into RF form.
Conventional optical receivers rely on impedance matching circuits which match impedance within a narrow frequency range available for cable television (CATV) channels between 50 and 550 MHz. These optical receiver systems restrict information transfer to the lower portion of the indicated frequency range. Current receivers are further limited in input power range and are susceptible to output RF signal instability. At the receiver output, surge protectors and bias tees implemented with a combination of parasitic capacitance and inductance are commonly provided. The combination of these two components results in poor return loss performance.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an optical receiver with broader bandwidth capability to facilitate handling of greater amounts of information.